Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 21 (ANI): In a recent development during the first Test match between India and Bangladesh, Bangladesh’s batting coach, David Hemp, revealed his lack of awareness regarding star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s injury status. This revelation came on Saturday, casting a shadow over the performance of the seasoned cricketer.

Shakib Al Hasan, a pivotal figure in the Bangladesh cricket team, bowled seven overs on the third day of the Test match after skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to bring him into the attack. However, it turned out to be a challenging spell for Shakib as Rishabh Pant punished him with six fours and two sixes, highlighting his struggles on the field.

This year has not been kind to the 37-year-old all-rounder. Shakib has managed to accumulate only 295 runs across 18 innings in various formats, averaging a mere 19.66 with just one fifty to his name. His bowling performance has also been subpar, claiming only 18 wickets at an average of 39.88, with his best figures being 4/35.

Murali Karthik, who was handling broadcasting duties for the match, shed some light on Shakib’s condition. He mentioned that Shakib had undergone surgery on his bowling finger, which has severely impacted his performance. “Having known him for such a long period, I approached him to understand why he hasn’t bowled much. He explained that after the finger surgery on his bowling hand, the finger is swollen and rigid, lacking any movement or suppleness. This lack of feeling is crucial for a spinner. Additionally, he is dealing with shoulder issues, making it even more challenging to bowl effectively in Test cricket,” said Karthik.

During the post-day press conference, David Hemp expressed his unawareness of Shakib’s injury situation by saying, “No, not aware of that at all, sorry.”

Hemp further commented on the pitch conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, describing it as favorable for batting. “In terms of days to bat, it’s still a good wicket. Today, we’ve seen that (Ravichandran) Ashwin managed to get a few balls to bounce significantly. But if you miss your mark, you can still score runs. So, for us tomorrow, it’s still a reasonable surface,” he added.

Focusing on the batting strategy, Hemp emphasized the importance of scoring runs. “The difference in the second innings is that our batsmen faced more balls and got settled at the crease. It’s all about scoring runs, and that approach hasn’t changed,” he stated.

At the close of day three, Bangladesh was positioned at 158/4 with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto unbeaten on 51* and Shakib Al Hasan on 5*. The team had started the post-Tea session at 56/0 with Shadman Islam (21) and Zakir Hasan (32) holding their ground.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah struck early in the session by dismissing Zakir for 33 runs off 47 balls. Ravichandran Ashwin then took three crucial wickets, removing Shadman Islam (35), Mominul Haque (13), and Mushfiqur Rahim (13).

Earlier in the second session of Day three, India resumed their innings at 205/3 with Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill both unbeaten at 82* and 86* respectively. Pant went on to score a century in his comeback innings in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Gill played an impressive unbeaten knock of 119 runs off 176 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and four sixes.

Middle-order batsman KL Rahul contributed with an unbeaten 22 runs from 19 balls, including four boundaries. India declared their innings at 287/4, setting a formidable target of 515 runs for Bangladesh to chase in order to secure victory in the first match of the series. (ANI)